According to the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu scriptures that were hammered into my brain as a child, all that is real is right now.

We talk about this all the time, right? The importance of the present moment and being mindful.

But how do we know that it's true?

Think about it. Your past is a conglomeration of thoughts. Your future, a conglomeration of thoughts. Your present is void of thoughts.

There are only two types of thoughts: thoughts about the past and thoughts about the future.

In an ideal world, I'd love to get rid of all my thoughts. Because when I think about the past, I cringe. When I think about the future, I get anxious.

However when I sit here right now in this moment typing this blog post ... all is well. All is perfect. And the only thing that is real is this very moment.

I want to challenge even the concept that the NOW is real. Because even “real” is a matter of perception.

For so many years, I gave so much importance to friends, societal norms, degrees, accolades, accomplishments. I was left unsatisfied and unfulfilled.

It wasn’t until I completely lost my sense of self that I woke up to what was real. None of it was real: the status, the money, being right, getting approval. None of it.

Here are four ways to question the “realness” of your thoughts:

1. Notice it.

2. Question it.

3. Ask yourself who does this chatter belong to.

4. Choose to be in the moment.

After you notice and acknowledge any negative emotions, ask yourself, “Is this real? Am I really being rejected?” or “Am I really not good enough?”

The answer is NO.

When you ask yourself whose chatter does this belong to, is it your younger self? The scared and abandoned little girl you once were? Does it belong to your mother or your father?

Then, you get to choose.

Ask yourself, “Do I want to operate from this place? How does it serve me?”

There are two places from which you can approach a thought: fear or love. Those negative conversations are fear-based. If you choose to come from a place of love, what would that look like? You’ve got to be willing to challenge it.

The next time you get caught up in this cycle of real and unreal ... remember this:

Your mind is a projection of all the falsehoods you have been trained to believe. You are not your mind. You are not your thoughts. You are not your body.